Nine days before some orthopedic patients at Stanford Health Care arrive for a preoperative visit, their preparation now begins at home.
A new digital outreach campaign developed by SHC’s Technology and Digital Solutions group sends patients educational materials about their upcoming procedure through MyHealth messages, text messages or letters. The goal is straightforward: help patients better understand what will happen before, during and after surgery — and give care teams a way to know whether that information has been seen.
The effort is part of Stanford Health Care’s pursuit of Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Advanced Certification from The Joint Commission, which evaluates programs on clinical quality, safety, evidence-based care, and performance measures. But the work also has a more immediate purpose for patients.
“The better prepared our patients are for surgery and the more they understand their post-surgical care, the better,” said Rochelle Cornell, Manager for IT Clinical Applications at Stanford Health Care. This preparation aligns Stanford with the entire Joint Commission Ortho goal “to improve patient outcomes and reduce patient risk.
Joint replacement is among the most common surgeries in the United States, and demand for orthopedic procedures is expected to rise as the population ages. For hospitals, that creates pressure not only to perform surgeries well, but also to make sure patients know how to prepare, what warning signs to watch for, and how to take care of themselves once they return home.
Stanford’s campaign, built in Epic, identifies patients scheduled for certain preoperative visits and sends them recommended education materials in advance. The materials include links to content and videos. They are offered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic and Simplified Chinese, using the patient’s documented preferred language.
If a patient does not open the first MyHealth message, the system sends a text message reminder a few days later. Care teams can track whether the message was opened and whether the patient clicked through to the education materials.
There is also a human backstop. If the patient has not reviewed the materials by the day of the preoperative visit, a record is placed in a workqueue for clinic staff. The scheduling team can then speak with the patient in person and direct them to the information.
“The better prepared our patients are for surgery and the more they understand their post-surgical care, the better,” said Rochelle Cornell, Manager for IT Clinical Applications at Stanford Health Care.
Cornell called that step a more “high-touch” option, reserved for more critical outreach campaigns. Not every automated message needs staff follow-up. In this case, the team wanted to make sure patients did not fall through the cracks.
The first version of the campaign went live May 13 for patients scheduled in advance. A second version for “last-minute” patients, those scheduled the day before, launched May 28. By July 9, the two campaigns had reached 255 individual patients. More than 82 percent had engaged with the materials.
“I really appreciate the partnership from our TDS colleagues on this work,” said Brad Johnson, VP – Orthopaedic Destination Service Line and Outpatient Rehabilitation Services. “For patients preparing for total hip or knee replacement, the experience can feel overwhelming, and timely education makes a meaningful difference.
“This solution helps patients receive information in advance, allows our teams to see whether that information has been reviewed, and creates a thoughtful backstop for patients who may need more personal follow-up. It is a strong example of digital innovation supporting high-touch, patient-centered care.”
The project moved quickly as an urgent Epic enhancement request ahead of the Joint Commission survey window in August. Cornell credited the TDS team, especially Principal Clinical Systems Analyst Sarah Gernetzke, who built the technical workflow, adapted it for last-minute patients and trained clinic staff on the new tools and reports.
“Our TDS team created a really great solution to help our patients and operations meet a goal,” said Cornell.
Together, the campaign shows how digital tools, clinical operations and personal follow-up can work in tandem to help patients feel better prepared for surgery and recovery.
